Quick Facts
Biography
Alex M. Diachenko (1919–1943) was a United States Navy sailor killed in action during World War II who received a posthumous Silver Star for his actions.
Biography
Alex Maxwell Diachenko was born at Hartford, Connecticut, on March 21, 1919. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on September 24, 1940.
As a watertender second class, Diachenko was serving in the destroyer USS Eberle (DD-430) in the South Atlantic Ocean when on March 10, 1943 Eberle intercepted the German blockade runner Karin. Diachenko was a member of the boarding party which valiantly tried to save Karin from demolition charges set by her crew. All efforts to save Karin were to no avail, and Diachenko was killed by an exploding charge.
Awards
For his gallant sacrifice in the boarding of Karin, Diachenko was awarded the Silver Star posthumously.
Namesake
The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Alex Diachenko (DE-690) was named for Watertender Second Class Diachenko. She was converted during construction into the high-speed transport USS Alex Diachenko (APD-123), and commissioned as such, but was soon renamed USS Diachenko (APD-123). She was in commission from 1944 to 1959, from 1961 to 1969, and from 1971, and was stricken in 1974.
